Improvement in fire-places



PATENT GEEICE.

JOSEPH HACKETT, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-PLACES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,276, dated July 25,1871.

To all 'whom -it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osEPH HACKETT, of Louisville, in the county ofJefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and ImprovedFire-Back for Grates; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable othersskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which-Figure l represents a front view of a fire-place provided with myimproved fire-back. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same.Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the saine.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention has for its object to provide a hollow fire-back forgrates, whereby a liberal supply of air will be carried from beneath thegrate to the lperforated back of the same to furnish oxygen to the rstproducts of combustion and obtain a more perfect secondary combustion.The invention consists in the formation on the inner corners of thenre-back of lower air-entrances, which are above the ash-pan, and serveto convey air to the upper hollow perforated back of the fire-place.These air-entrances are produced by means .of concave corners formed onthe back above the square corners of its support, and do therefore notinterfere with the grate nor take away any useful .space behind thesame. They extend down nearly but not quite to the ashpan, so that thelatter may be of rectangular form. The inventionl consists, also, informing projecting ears at the front upper corners of the fire-back,which define the width of the throat to the flue and aid in keeping thetile in place.

A in the drawing represents the hollow fireback, made of cast-iron orother suitable material, and of suitable height, width, and thickness.It is placed in a fire-place of ordinary or suitable construction toreceive a grate. The fire-back is made hollow, and perforated at theupper part of its front face. It usually extends down to the support Bof masonry, whose upper edge is about on a level with the top of theash-pan. The inner corners of the support B are rectangular, or nearlyso; those of the fire-back rounded, as in Fig. 3. The corners of thefire-back project thus forwardly beyond those of B, and constitutetriangular openings b for the entrance of air to its hollow body. Theseopenings being just above the ash-pan receive cold air from the same,and convey it, through the apertures a in the front ofthe fire-back, tothe flre. The ash-pan can be of rectangular form to fit the support B,and will not be in the way of nor crowded by the air-entrances to thefire-back. The air for aiding the combustion 011 the grate, being drawnfrom the ash-pan, is cold, and does not absorb heat from the grateliireon its passage to the same, which it does in the devices now in use,where it is drawn in through openings behind the grate.

My form of fire-back is extremely simple, and can be cheaply producedand applied to all kinds of grate.

At the front upper corners of the iire-back are projecting ears c c,which define the width of the throat to the flue, and thus guide thegrate-setter in making a uniform width of flue, instead of leaving thematter to his discretion. Frequent errors which the setters are apt tocommit are thus prevented. The ears c form also shoulders for keepingthe tile in place..

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. The ears c c formed at the front top corners of thefireback for defining the width of iiue and holding the tile in place,as set forth.

2. The hollow fire-back A provided with the concave inner corners,whereby air-passages are formed between said corners and the masonry B,as shown and described.

JOSEPH HAGKETT.

Witnesses:

W. J. ANDERSON, WHITE W. FORMAN.

